Former Spandau Ballet singer Tony Hadley has given a very blunt and honest explanation as to why he left Spandau Ballet to Noise11.com.
Tony toured Australia with Spandau Ballet on the 2010 World Tour. The story of Spandau Ballet was being told in the documentary “Soul Boys of the Western World”. Then in 2017, Hadley announced on Twitter that he was out of the band.
“It was very unfortunate,’ Tony Hadley tells Noise11.com. “I did a year and a half with the band promoting the film. We went around the world touring and had a great time. Unfortunately, Johnny Keeble (drummer) fell ill at one point. He is fine now. We replaced him with a drummer, Sterling Campbell who played with Bowie. The tour was tainted with a bit of bad luck. I wanted to finish my own album ‘Talking to the Moon’ and I’ve got my own band, the fabulous TH band who I have been with me much longer than Spandau Ballet.”
Tony says his removal from the band was nasty. “They embarked on a course of action,” he says. “They have never been very honest as to why I left. Just sugar-coat that one. They did specific things that, put it this way, if you want to get rid of your lead singer, they went about it the right way. I thought I had no option other than to leave. It was not my fault. It was categorically not my fault and not of my choosing either”.
Tony’s departure was before the band would reach their 40th anniversary. “I think we would have done a 40th anniversary tour. I think it’s sad for the fans. Anyway, you are stuck with me singing the songs. The original lead singer,” he says.
What was stranger was that Spandau Ballet thought they could continue with a new lead singer. Ross Wild joined the band and then had a very public sacking. “It was a strange choice,” says Tony. “A couple of guys in my band know him and I sent him a message saying “good luck, watch your back”. I think that was prophetic in the end. Anyway, I think he got sacked on live television. Steve Norman didn’t even know he was being got rid of. I thought the whole thing was pretty … listen, I step away from it. I don’t have anything to do with it. I don’t have anything to do with anything about Spandau Ballet anymore. It was very sad. Very, very sad”.
Tony says the blame with his departure lays directly with Gary Kemp. “At least I’m honest. We don’t get on. We don’t really like each other. That’s it,” he says. “If ever there was a rub within the band it was always between me and Gary. We had some wonderful times and our friendship at times was really solid but his behaviour and that of the manager … we won’t be doing Christmas cards”.
The Tony Hadley tour will kick off at Tweed Heads on 15 September.
Dates are:
https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/tony-hadley-2022
15th September, Tweed Heads, Twin Towns
16th September, Brisbane, Fortitude Music Hall
17th September, Sydney, Enmore Theatre
18th September, Melbourne, Palais Theatre
21 September, Adelaide, Thebarton Theatre
22 September, Perth, Astor Theatre
24 September, Christchurch, James Hay Theatre
25 September, Auckland, Skycity Theatre
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